Interesting interview here with William Pepicello, president of the University of Phoenix, which most of us know is the nation’s largest for-profit university. (Did you know they have over 300,000 students?) Pepicello gives some of his answers to frequent questions about the university and gives his thought on for-profit educational ventures in general. Go read the whole thing, which is nicely excerpted.

Phoenix catches a lot of flak from folks in traditional higher ed institutions — sometimes for no reason in particular, and sometimes because of a perceived lack of academic standards. Say what you will about Phoenix, but there’s a lot to be said for having a business plan for your university that relies upon rapid adjustments to changing student populations and which is more directly influenced by the actual needs ot the marketplace. As opposed to a model that ensconces… well, stuff like this.